Impactful Books for Young Adults

HaveUHeard of Any of These Books?

Not only will young adults like these books, but also moms and dads too! I am that mother, that aunt; that friend, that sister, that always sends books as gifts. First, books don’t go out of style. Second, they can be read and reread. Third, they may very well be filled with anything from adventure, philosophy, emotion, and imagination. What other gifts can you give that may have all that and more?  Giving books to recent graduates is one of my favorite gifts to give.

Today, books may impact their lives as they begin their new journey. By the same token, choosing just the right book might also long-lasting enjoyment. HaveUHeard of any of these?

We think these are pretty impactful:

• How to Skimm Your Life by The Skimm, Elise Randall
• The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Untamed by Glennon Doyle
• Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Acid for the Children by Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, MD- My former boss gave all the employees this book to read as a way to deal with change in our workplace. (also deals with change in our lives- quite apropos these days)
• My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Educated by Tara Westover
• The Defining Decade – Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD
• The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
• You are a BadAss: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life (part of a 3 book series)
• This Just Speaks to Me: Words to Live By Every Day – “Kotb’s new collection of quotes, lessons and personal stories about acts of kindness, love, loss, friendship, and motherhood is filled with positivity and warm conversations only the beloved Today co-host could deliver.” –Parade
• Journey To The Heart – daily meditations. My daughter gifted this to me after reading it herself.

Moreover, it’s nice to send things that may positively influence young adults in other ways. For instance, The Lifechanging Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, totally helped my own daughter downsize and organize when she moved into a tiny New York City apartment.

Life Lessons

Consequently, books that teach you a skill such as cooking or how to budget (or both), can be rather advantageous. Although the idea may sound a bit trite, as do some of the titles, the truth is, they are packed with lots of good stuff. With this in mind, the key is to make each book appealing enough for someone to crack it open. We like:

• Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone by Becky Blades
• How to Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman
• The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Of course, books that sit on a coffee table can be nice too particularly ones that they have significance. For example, a treasured one that has started many conversations, as well as adventures, is 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. Additionally, Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda is filled with short, inspirational messages. Actually, this may be better suited for one’s nightstand so each new day can be started with motivation and end with comfort.

Escape with Books

A good escape is always nice too including books my daughters or I have read over the years that have stayed with us. Here are some of the more recent ones:

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino
• This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel
• The Running Man by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)
• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
• Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• The Illness Lesson: A Novel by Clare Beams
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
• The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
• The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
• Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
• My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
• Beach Read by Emily Henry
• Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

For college graduation, I gave my daughter The Tassel is Worth the Hassle. This humorous, short book is filled with encouraging words and sayings by Anita Wood

I have to admit; I love to read. Here’s hoping the next generation will too.

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